The Biogeochemical Ocean Flux Study (BOFS) was a Community Research Project of the Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Directorate of the Natural Environment Research Council and was hosted by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory from April 1987 and April 1992, with a bridging to April 1993 for cruises to the Southern Oceans. The North Atlantic field programme was conducted between May 1989 and July 1991. BOFS formed a significant part of the UK's contribution to the IGBP's Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS).

From the outset, BODC took the lead role in organising and ensuring the proper management and processing of BOFS data. The aim throughout was to make high quality data readily available to project scientists with minimal delay, and to ensure the publication of a comprehensive fully worked up data set at the end of the project.